Melissa DeJesus Mobile 646 344 2877 Website http://melissade.daportfolio.com/ Email [email protected] Passionate about motivating and inspiring children and teens in expression and critical thinking through the arts using the best in comics, animation, illustration, storytelling and design. Always looking to challenge myself, learn from others, and enjoy teaching others about self representation through art. My interests and skills extend over a vast array of genres and fields of professions. I'm looking to continue my career in education to offer the best of my experience and enthusiasm. Education The School of Visual Arts MAT Art Education 2013-2014 BFA Animation 1998-2002 Employment Harper Collins Publishing 2013-2014 Relevant Comic Illustrator Illustrated 7 page black and white comic excerpt for teen novel. Awesome Forces Productions Fall 2012 Assistant Animator Collaborated with partner in creating animation key frames for animated segments featured in TV series entitled The Aquabats! Super Show! Yen Press 2012-current Graphic Novel Illustrator Illustrated a full color chapters for a graphic novel entitled Monster Galaxy. Created and designed new characters along with existing characters in the online game franchise. Random House 2012-2013 Letterer / Retouch Artist Digitally retouched Japanese graphic novels for sub-division, Kodansha. Lettered 200+ comic pages and designed supplemental pages. Organized and prepared interior book files for print production. King Features Syndicate 2006-2010 Comic Strip Illustrator Digitally illustrated, colored and lettered daily comic strip, My Cage, for newspapers across the country from Hawaii to South Africa. Designed numerous characters on a day to day basis for growing cast. Created font based on personal penmanship. Twin Cities Public Television 2006-2007 Lead Animator/ Storyboard Artist Created storyboards and animatics. Led a team of two in animation and editing for 2 animated segments for a live-action, educational children television show featured online and broadcasted on PBS. Bramble Films 2005-2006 Character Designer Designed creature and character illustrations and model sheets for independent studio seeking to pitch an animated children television show with updated facts on paleontology. Central Park Media 2004-2006 Designer/Retouch Artist Edited and retouched original Japanese graphic novels for re-print in the US. Proof read English script and prepared all files for print production. Designed banner sized posters for promotion at conventions of new and upcoming titles. Tokyo Pop 2003-2008 Graphic Novel Illustrator Illustrated and designed characters for two 150 page graphic novels in a series entitled Sokora Refugees. Worked with team members on inking and toning for volume 1 of the series. Gained confidence of editors through perseverance in personally inking full novel and creating a 5 page short for volume 2. Created an illustration for an ad to recruit new artists and creators. Urban Box Office 2001 Animation Assistant Digitally inked animation frames for online animated series. Assisted head animator in organizing digital files. Broken Lizard 2000 Animator Collaborated with team members in animating a segment for the live-action film, Super Troopers, distributed by Fox Searchlight. Central Park Media 1998 Illustrator Illustrated cover art for VHS Japanese animated movie. Employment EB Games 2002-2003 Irrelevant Sales Clerk Assisted customers on the sales floor, worked the register, organize stock on display and restock weekly shipments. La Guardia Community College Summer 1998 Site Monitor Supervised students employed in the Summer Youth Employment Program. Managed time sheets and visited 80+ employed students at work sites for evaluation. Office Assistant 1996-1997 Filled orders of 500+ prints for college professors at the college print shop. Assisted in filing, answering phones and data entry. Teaching The School of Visual Arts 2010-2011 Experience Guest Speaker/Substitute Teacher Held discussion with Cartooning major college seniors on professional work experience and guidance for the work field after graduation. Conducted classroom review and critique of individual student works. Hostos Community College 2006-2007 Adjunct Instructor Taught art and cartooning to High School students enrolled in an after school program. Encouraged students to explore individual styles, and expression of ideas in the form of art and storytelling. La Guardia Community College 1999-2006 Adjunct Instructor Instructed art and cartooning to children in K-9th grades. Taught basic drawing, storytelling, self expression through art, and technical aspects of creating a final comic. Publications Santa vs Dracula 2009-2013 Self published a 165 page full color comic distributed on Amazon.com. Collaborated with writer in story and creation of characters featured in the graphic novel. Published online with Universal Uclick at gocomics.com gaining over 1,000 subscribers in the first month. My Cage Year One 2010 Self published a 214 page comic strip compilation book of the first year strips previously printed in newspapers. The NeoIntegrity Omnibus 2010 Personal comic and short biography featured in the print edition of the gallery exhibit, “NeoIntegrity: Comics Edition”, held at The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art. Sokora Refugees Volume 1 and 2 2004, 2007 Illustrated and designed black and white, 150 page graphic novel series spanning two volumes. One of the first and best selling original English language manga created and published in the US and UK. Translated and published internationally in Germany and Spain. Otakon Program Book 2001 Created illustrations and a comic strip featured in the Otakon program book as member of the all girl group, Estrigious, from the success and popularity of previous years attended. Estrigious Illustration Books 1999, 2000 Created an illustration book with 4 other girls as co-founder and member of Studio Estrigious to promote website. Sold books at comic conventions, received positive feedback, and sold out within two days. Success of initial book led to creating a second illustration book with individual short story comics. Exhibits, Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art 2010 Lectures, & Workshops Personal 8 page comic, “Vampire Zombies in Space”, featured, via invitation, in the “NeoIntegrity: Comics Edition” art show in New York. Exhibit featured over 200 established professionals and student artists alike. Excellent reviews and high attendance rate extended exhibit by two months. That's Entertainment! 2009 Invited as Studio Estrigious to do a group signing for comic creator event held at popular comic shop in Massachusetts. Tokyo Pop Creator Panels 2008 Attended as a creator for the “Fantasy Worlds and Manga” panel discussion at the New York Comic Con. Spoke as a comic creator in panel discussion for Japanese Pop Culture event held at Japanese bookstore Kinokuniya. La Guardia Community College 2006 Instructed a drawing workshop for children and their parents interesting in enrolling in the College for Children summer program. Otakon 2001 Held a “How to Draw” workshop with fellow members as Studio Estrigious at the largest anime convention on the east coast. Provided instruction and advice to aspiring artists and held individual drawing demonstrations in small groups. Personal High School of Art & Design Alumni Exhibit Spring 2012 Achievements, and Honorable Personal artwork exhibited in the High School of Art & Design's Alumni Mentions exhibit in honor of closing the old school building. Indomina Media 2011 Produced 6 comic pages and won 1st place in the promotion online contest, “American vs Manga,” for the live-action movie Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame. Daily News Online 2010 Interviewed by Daily News columnist about the comic strip series My Cage. Aniboom 2009 Animated 3:38 minute animated short, Santa versus Dracula, in one month for Fox Holiday Animation Challenge held on popular animation website. Received positive feedback from viewers and placed within the top 10th percentile for most watched videos. Zuda Comics 2009 Chosen by editors to have 8 page comic, Santa versus Dracula, featured on digital comics based website. Ranked 4th place by readership voting system. Worcester Magazine 2009 Interviewed by local magazine for upcoming comic creator event held at popular local comic shop, That's Entertainment!, in Massachusetts. Editor & Publisher 2008 Featured in an article “Young Guns Blazing Syndication Trails: A look at 4 people in their 20's who got syndicated early in life.” Barnes & Nobles 2007 Participated in panel discussion hosted by Tokyo Pop about careers in making comics. Silverbulletcomics.com 2007 Interviewed by internet columnist for online article about personal inspirations and experience working in the comic industry. NHK 2007 Featured on a New York based Japanese television program, Learn English, for children about Japanese culture spread across the US. Elle Girl Magazine 2005 Featured as one of the artists for article, “Manga Girls”, in August issue discussing young women with careers in the anime/manga industry. Skills Computer Adobe Creative Suite, Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere, InDesign, Flash, Paint Tool Sai, 3DS Max, Quark Xpress. Traditional Mediums Pencil, crow quill, brush, mechanical pens, acrylic paint, water color, gouache, airbrush, Prismacolor markers and animating with the Master Oxberry Camera. References Provided upon request..